Transparent container



Patented Dect27,

Corporation, a corporation or New Application February 16, 1935, Se

Jersey No. area scams. (or. eat-ts) This invention relates to cartons or containers formed of artificial sheet material, for instance,

those formed of derivatives of cellulose and more particularly to such containers or cartons formed in a manner that they may be easily and continually opened and closed without tearing or .splitting at the point or line of bending.

An object of the invention is the economicand expeditious production of containers and cartons of artificial sheet or film material that do not tear or split upon opening and closing of same. Other objects of the invention will appearfrom the following description and drawing.

Inthe drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements in the various figuresz- Fig. l is a front perspective view of a closed.

container.

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the container shown in Fig. l with the closing member in open position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank used in forming the container shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a part of a blank having a modified form of protection against tearing especially adaptable to relatively heavy stock.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a part of a blank having a modified form of protection against tearing.

It is a known property of artificial sheet materials of the transparent variety that the same are durable until a tear is started, after which the tear may be extended with the greatest of ease. It is also known that where there is a sharp reentrant angle, the apex of said angle acts as a starting point from which the material will readily and easily tear or split. In forming cartons of this material, which cartons are designed for continued use or reuse and which are not to be destroyed upon opening, it has been found very diflicult to design a package which would nottear, this being due tothe fact that reentrant angles were always necessary. By employing this invention the cartons or containers are made such that there are no sharp reentrant angles developing tears.

In accordance with my invention, I form containers of sheet material and especially those materials which are transparent by forming the container such that it has a bottom, two side walls and two end walls and a closure member or cover formed integral with one of said walls so cut and shaped that the opening and closing of the closure member or cover does not flex the material sharply at a point or on a line connected with a 5 sharp reentrant angle. In the making of the carton or container, the side wall integral with the cover member is made such that it is not integral with the joining end or side walls adjacent thereto forla space next to where the closure joins the side wall, thus forming a slit. Preferably this slit terminates in a circular opening or slit in the wall, the shape of said opening or slit being such as to prevent tearing from starting at that point as it is along the slit and its termination v point that the material will be flexed as the cover is opened and closed.

This invention is applicable to the making of packages, cartons, containersand the like of any suitable shape such as square, rectangular, etc.

. These packages may be designed for the insertion of inner packages or to contain the articles without further wrapping. For instance, cartons may be made for the purpose of holding a package of cigarettes, 'a deck of playing cards, a box 5 of candy and other like articles.

Although cartons, containers and packages may be made, according to this invention, of any suitable sheet ,-material, it is of special applicability to the forming of packages from transganic esters of cellulose or the organic esters and others of cellulose. An outstanding example of the inorganic esters of cellulose is cellulose nitrate. Examples of organic esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate, while examples of cellulose ethers are methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose.

The containers, cartons or packages may be formed of any thickness of material. The invention, however, is of major importance when employingmaterial of suiiicient thickness that it is not destroyed upon opening of the package but is used over and overagain. For instance,

ploying cellulose acetate material ranging in thickness from .005 to .02 or more inches in thickness. The size, shape anduse to which the package is intended or designed to be used this invention is of major importance when emwill govern, to a great extent, the thickness of the material employed. For relatively small size packages such as a container adapted to receive a package of playing cards, a package of cigarettes or the like, sheet material say from .005 to .01 of an inch may be employed successfully.

The sheet material may contain besides a cellulosic base material efiect materials which may enhance its value for the purpose for which it is intended. For instance, eifect materials which aid in the flexibility, color, non-combustibility, life and feel may be incorporated losic base material in any suitable manner. Thus, plasticizers, lubricants, filling materials, pigments, fire retardants, dyes and lakes rated with the sheet material.

As an aidin visualizing the invention, refer ence is made to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing there is shown a container adapted to receive a deck of playing cards or similar package, which container is made of a transparent material. The container consists of a front wall I and a back wall 2, a bottom 3, end walls 6 and 5 and a closure member 6. These walls are suitably held together to form a desired shape package by overlapping the edges of the various walls and glueing or'welding the sametogether in any suitable manner. For instance, the edges may be welded together, when employing sheets.

containing organic derivatives of cellulose, by applying thereto a dilute solution of a volatile solvent therefor contacting the thus wetted portions together and allowing the same to dry. .Adhesives, glues and pastes may be used, if desired, in place of the solvent material or in conjunction therewith. Where the closure or cover member adjoins the back Wallas at the line 7 the back wall is cut or separated from the end walls to form a slit 8.' This slit preferably at its end furthermost from the closure or cover member,

; circles or arcs into the back wall and turns in a direction at least parallel to the slit as shown at 9 on the drawing. The length of the slit 8 may vary within fairly large limits, depending upon the stock employed and the use to which the container is intended to 'be used.

In forming containers of relatively heavy material, for instance, material above .01 inch in thickness the slit may be widened to form a cutout portion as shown at ill in the drawing. This may be performed by a double bladed member when stamping out the blank. By this modification sufiicient clearance is made such that when -the carton is opened or closed the edges of the rear wall as it is flexed outward will not be caught or held by the adjacent end walls. Although this modification is preferable in heavy material, it is not necessary and that type of slit shown in Figure 3 may be successfully employed.

with the ce1lu-.

some material become discolored due cracks being developed. I

The construction described above not only shapes the carton such that there is no sharp anglefromwhich a tear would start but also provides for a greater area of material which is to surface susceptible to being flexed when the closure or may be incorpo- In a further modification of this invention, the

complementary slits 8 may be terminated in a cut-out portion II which may or may not lie in both the back side wall and the end wall. These complementary cut-out portions I l are preferably circular in shape such that there is no angle present to act as a starting point from which a tear would start The complementary cut-out portion H may be employed with a very short slit 8 or the cut-out portion H may be so positioned that it touches or crosses the line 1 in which casethere would obviously be no slit 8. Whether a slit 8 is employed at all or its length when employed will depend upon the radius of curvature through which the material or stock employed will bend without tearing or as with cover member is open, thus eliminating any sharp bend of the material. It will be seen from the drawing, especially Figure 2, that upon opening the closure or cover member 6 the back wall flexes through a large radius of curvature from the bottom of the complementary cut-out portions on back wall 2 and including part of the closur member 6, and does not bend on any one line as on line I.

In forming the blank, the face of the material may be perforated, scarred or mitered on the line where the material is to be bent such as on lines 7, l2 and other lines where the material is to be bent in forming the container. The scarring of the blank may be dispensed with and the blank may be merely molded into shape at the lines I and H by means of heat and pressure. Suitable tab members l3 may be provided as an aid in holding the various walls and the bottom of the container together. There may also be provided tabs M on the closure member to aid in holding the closure member in a closed position and adapted to act as finger'pieces in opening and closing said closure member.

Although the box shown on the drawing has been described particularly in reference to a carton for containing a deck of playing cards, it is applicable to any shape or size of box. Obviously, any suitable size or shape of tab or lapping members may be employed for the type of box being constructed. Although the box is shown as being made from a single member or sheet of material the same may obviously be formed of two or more sheets of material welded together either prior to or during the formation of the container.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description and drawing are given by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein' without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a container having two side walls and two end walls, a closure member integral with one ofsaid side wallsand adapted to flex across the width of the said side wall, said side wall being formed with a out along each of its lines of juncture with the end walls so as to render a substantial portion of the area of the said side wall capable of flexing on operation of the closure member, the end of each of said cuts making an edge which curves away from the corresponding line of juncture and towards said closure member in order to prevent the flexing of the closure member tearing the container.

, 2. In a container having two side walls and two end walls of transparent material, a closure member integral with one of said side walls and adapted to flex across the width of the said side wall, said side wall being formed with a out along "each of its lines of juncture with the end walls v a 2,141,752 the flexing oi the closure member tearing the container.

3. In a container having two side walls and two end walls of transparent cellulose acetate materiaL a closure member integral with one of 4. In a container having two side walls and two end walls, a closure member integralwith one of said side walls and adapted to flex along a line extending across the width of the said side wall;

said side wall having complementary cut-out portions along the lines of juncture of the wall with the end walls, said cut-out portions extending inwardly into the saidside wall at points in the vicinity of the line of flexure of the closure memher and curving towards said closure member across the line of fiexure so as to assist in the flexing of the closure member and to prevent tearing of the container across the line of fiexure.

FRED J. HOARLE. 

